A Chinese national was arrested for allegedly posing as a Filipino citizen and using fraudulently obtained government-issued documents, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said Tuesday.

BI intelligence operatives apprehended Zhi Ling Guan, 47, who was reportedly using the aliases Shi Nengyuan and Mike Sy, following intelligence verification and coordination with law enforcement partners in Batangas province.

According to BI Intelligence Chief Fortunato Manahan Jr., the suspect misrepresented himself as a Filipino citizen and used Philippine-issued identification documents to support his false claim.

“Our verification confirmed that the individual was operating under multiple identities and had secured Philippine documents under an assumed Filipino name,” Manahan said.

The Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP) and the Land Transportation Office (LTO) provided key information and confirmation that led to the arrest, Manahan added.

Biometric checks and inter-agency verification established that the fingerprints appearing on identification documents under the name “Mike Sy” matched those of Guan, confirming his true identity as a Chinese national.

Authorities also discovered that the suspect had allegedly used Philippine passports to travel internationally while falsely claiming Filipino citizenship.

The BI stressed that fraudulently claiming Philippine citizenship constitutes a serious violation of immigration laws and undermines national sovereignty.

BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado condemned the act, emphasizing the agency’s commitment to protecting the integrity of Philippine documents.

“Philippine citizenship is not a commodity that can be fabricated or acquired through deception. Any foreign national who falsely claims to be Filipino and manipulates our systems to secure official documents will face arrest, detention, and deportation,” Viado said.

He further underscored the bureau’s intensified efforts to combat identity fraud.

“The Philippines welcomes lawful visitors, but we will not allow anyone to steal the identity of a Filipino for personal gain,” he added.

The suspect has been transferred to the BI Warden Facility pending deportation proceedings. 

Further investigation is ongoing to determine the full extent of the fraudulent activities and to identify possible accomplices.